The 40-year old intern

The tough job market is making it hard for even the most experienced workers to find jobs -- and "headcount reductions" are leaving companies understaffed and in need of affordable replacements like interns.

One outcome of this scenario is an increase in the number of older workers who are taking internships -- some people who lost six-figure gigs in publishing are working as unpaid interns to learn the ropes of digital content. The real losers in this scenario are college students and recent graduates looking for internships. Why would you give an internship to a snot-nosed 20-year old when you could have someone with experience and maturity?